As a Licensed Professional Counselor in Virginia, I feel that this change is vital to safegurading clients and strengthening professional identity among professional counselors. Consumers of professional counseling services should be able to easily understand the training, guiding principles, and ethical standards of the counselor providing care. CACREP accreditation requires that programs demonstrate student learning outcomes in dozens of areas of counselor competency, ensuring high quality preparation. In one study, counselors who graduated from NON-CACREP accredited programs accounted for over 81% of ethical violations, despite being a minority of practicing counselors.

Requiring that counseling students graduate from CACREP accredited programs would benefit clients by ensuring a standard already present in other mental health professionals. A degree from a CSWE accredited program is required for licensure as a Social Worker in nearly all states. A degree from an APA accredited program is a requirement for licensure as a psychologist in nearly all states. The consistency, state-to-state, is part of why those professions are able to serve a broader range of clients, including those with Medicare, while counselors are not. In my private practice, I have not been able to provide services to dozens of potential clients who access services through Medicare. 

 Virginia has very inclusive policies that allow anyone with two years of licensure experience in another state, to relocate to Virginia and get licensed by endorsement. This action would help counselors secure Medicare reimbursement.  Please support this regulatory change, and thank you for your consideration.